Mourhit Wins Title By A Whisker

World cross-country champion Mohammed Mourhit added the Balmoral Compaq 5-mile title to his long list of successes after a scintillating battle with Ethiopian rival Assefa Mezgubu with the timekeepers again unable to separate the leaders after an intriguing contest.

World cross-country champion Mohammed Mourhit added the Balmoral Compaq 5-mile title to his long list of successes after a scintillating battle with Ethiopian rival Assefa Mezgubu with the timekeepers again unable to separate the leaders after an intriguing contest.

Moroccan-born Mourhit, now a nationalised Belgian, outsprinted the Olympic 5000m bronze medallist to pip the African on the line after Mezgubu had eased ahead in the last 100 metres. Seven seconds behind the pair was Kenyan Julius Kimtai, winner of the Blaydon Race for the past two years and who has indicated he will return to Tyneside to try and make it a hat-trick of wins in June.

Morpeth runners were well represented in the televised event with Ian Hudspith the pick of the bunch in 18th place.

Hudspith covered the five miles in 24.01 with teammate Tony O'Brien a further eight seconds back in 21st position and Michael Morris crossed the line in 31st place in 24.46.

Sunderland's Brian Rushworth, who missed last weekend's Northern 12-stage Road Relay Championships through injury, bounced back to form to finish 35th in 24.50. * MORPETH'S Alan Shepherd and Saltwell's Morag McDonnell both finished second in their category in the Southport/Waterloo 10k road race.

Shepherd's time of 31min 40sec was 24 seconds down on winner Robert Barry of the the promoting club, while McDonnell's second place was achieved in 36.28.